alfred tennyson-第31章

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exceptions；　are　based　on　myth　and　legend；　not　on　history；　and　even　in
the　Persae；　grounded　on　contemporary　events；　AEschylus　introduced　the
ghost　of　Darius；　not　vouched　for　by　〃exact　history。〃　　Let　us　conceive
Shakespeare　writing　Macbeth　in　an　age　of　〃exact　history。〃　　Hardly　any
of　the　play　would　be　left。　　Fleance　and　Banquo　must　go。　　Duncan
becomes　a　young　man；　and　far　from　〃gracious。〃　　Macbeth　appears　as　the
defender　of　the　legitimist　prince；　Lulach；　against　Duncan；　a　usurper。
Lady　Macbeth　is　a　pattern　to　her　sex；　and　her　lord　is　a　clement　and
sagacious　ruler。　　The　witches　are　ruled　out　of　the　piece。
Difficulties　arise　about　the　English　aid　to　Malcolm。　　History；　in
fact；　declines　to　be　dramatic。　　Liberties　must　be　taken。　　In　his
plays　of　the　Mary　Stuart　cycle；　Mr　Swinburne　telescopes　the　affair　of
Darnley　into　that　of　Chastelard；　which　was　much　earlier。　　He　makes
Mary　Beaton　（in　love　with　Chastelard）　a　kind　of　avenging　fate；　who
will　never　leave　the　Queen　till　her　head　falls　at　Fotheringay；
though；　in　fact；　after　a　flirtation　with　Randolph；　Mary　Beaton
married　Ogilvy　of　Boyne　（really　in　love　with　Lady　Bothwell）；　and　not
one　of　the　four　Maries　was　at　Fotheringay。　　An　artist　ought　to　be
allowed　to　follow　legend；　of　its　essence　dramatic；　or　to　manipulate
history　as　he　pleases。　　Our　modern　scrupulosity　is　pedantic。　　But
Tennyson　read　a　long　list　of　books　for　his　Queen　Mary；　though　it　does
not　appear　that　he　made　original　researches　in　MSS。　　These　labours
occupied　1874　and　1875。　　Yet　it　would　be　foolish　to　criticise　his
Queen　Mary　as　if　we　were　criticising　〃exact　history。〃　　〃The　play's
the　thing。〃

The　poet　thought　that　〃Bloody　Mary〃　〃had　been　harshly　judged　by　the
verdict　of　popular　tradition。〃　　So　have　most　characters　to　whom
popular　dislike　affixes　the　popular　epithet〃Bloody　Claverse；〃
〃Bloody　Mackenzie；〃　〃Bloody　Balfour。〃　　Mary　had　the　courage　of　the
Tudors。　　She　〃edified　all　around　her　by　her　cheerfulness；　her　piety；
and　her　resignation　to　the　will　of　Providence；〃　in　her　last　days
（Lingard）。　　Camden　calls　her　〃a　queen　never　praised　enough　for　the
purity　of　her　morals；　her　charity　to　the　poor〃　（she　practised　as　a
district　visitor）；　〃and　her　liberality　to　the　nobles　and　the　clergy。〃
She　was　〃pious；　merciful；　pure；　and　ever　to　be　praised；　if　we
overlook　her　erroneous　opinions　in　religion；〃　says　Godwin。　　She　had
been　grievously　wronged　from　her　youth　upwards。　　In　Elizabeth　she　had
a　sister　and　a　rival；　a　constant　intriguer　against　her；　and　a
kinswoman　far　from　amiable。　　Despite　〃the　kindness　and　attention　of
Philip〃　（Lingard）；　affairs　of　State　demanded　his　absence　from
England。　　The　disappointment　as　to　her　expected　child　was　cruel。　　She
knew　that　she　had　become　unpopular；　and　she　could　not　look　for　the
success　of　her　Church；　to　which　she　was　sincerely　attached。　　M。
Auguste　Filon　thought　that　Queen　Mary　might　secure　dramatic　rank　for
Tennyson；　〃if　a　great　actress　arose　who　conceived　a　passion　for　the
part　of　Mary。〃　　But　that　was　not　to　be　expected。　　Mary　was　middle…
aged；　plain；　and　in　aspect　now　terrible；　now　rueful。　　No　great
actress　will　throw　herself　with　passion　into　such　an　ungrateful　part。
〃Throughout　all　history；〃　Tennyson　said；　〃there　was　nothing　more
mournful　than　the　final　tragedy　of　this　woman。〃　　MOURNFUL　it　is；　but
not　tragic。　　There　is　nothing　grand　at　the　close；　as　when　Mary　Stuart
conquers　death　and　evil　fame；　redeeming　herself　by　her　courage　and
her　calm；　and　extending　over　unborn　generations　that　witchery　which
her　enemies　dreaded　more　than　an　army　with　banners。

Moreover；　popular　tradition　can　never　forgive　the　fires　of
Smithfield。　　It　was　Mary　Tudor's　misfortune　that　she　had　the　power　to
execute；　on　a　great　scale；　that　faculty　of　persecution　to　the　death
for　which　her　Presbyterian　and　other　Protestant　opponents　pined　in
vain。　　Mr　Froude　says　of　her；　〃For　the　first　and　last　time　the　true
Ultramontane　spirit　was　dominant　in　England；　the　genuine　conviction
that；　as　the　orthodox　prophets　and　sovereigns　of　Israel　slew　the
worshippers　of　Baal；　so　were　Catholic　rulers　called　upon；　as　their
first　duty；　to　extirpate　heretics　as　the　enemies　of　God　and　man。〃
That　was　precisely　the　spirit　of　Knox　and　other　Presbyterian
denouncers　of　death　against　〃Idolaters〃　（Catholics）。　　But　the
Scottish　preachers　were　always　thwarted：　　Mary　and　her　advisers　had
their　way；　as；　earlier；　Latimer　had　preached　against　sufferers　at　the
stake。　　To　the　stake；　which　he　feared　so　greatly；　Cranmer　had　sent
persons　not　of　his　own　fleeting　shade　of　theological　opinion。　　These
men　had　burned　Anabaptists；　but　all　that　is　lightly　forgotten　by
Protestant　opinion。　　Under　Mary　（whoever　may　have　been　primarily
responsible）　Cranmer　and　Latimer　were　treated　as　they　had　treated
others。　　Moreover；　some　two　hundred　poor　men　and　women　had　dared　the
fiery　death。　　The　persecution　was　on　a　scale　never　forgiven　or
forgotten；　since　Mary　began　cerdonibus　esse　timenda。　　Mary　was　not
essentially　inclement。　　Despite　Renard；　the　agent　of　the　Emperor；　she
spared　that　lord　of　fluff　and　feather；　Courtenay；　and　she　spared
Elizabeth。　　Lady　Jane　she　could　not　save；　the　girl　who　was　a　queen　by
grace　of　God　and　of　her　own　royal　nature。　　But　Mary　will　never　be
pardoned　by　England。　　〃Few　men　or　women　have　lived　less　capable　of
doing　knowingly　a　wrong　thing；〃　says　Mr　Froude；　a　great　admirer　of
Tennyson's　play。　　Yet；　taking　Mr　Froude's　own　view；　Mary's　abject　and
superannuated　passion　for　Philip；　her　ecstasies　during　her　supposed
pregnancy；　〃the　forlorn　hours　when　she　would　sit　on　the　ground　with
her　knees　drawn　to　her　face；〃　with　all　her　〃symptoms　of　hysterical
derangement；　leave　little　room；　as　we　think　of　her；　for　other
feelings　than　pity。〃　　Unfortunately；　feelings　of　pity　for　a　person　so
distraught；　so　sourly　treated　by　fortune；　do　not　suffice　for　tragedy。
When　we　contemplate　Antigone　or　OEdipus；　it　is　not　with　a　sentiment
of　pity　struggling　against　abhorrence。

For　these　reasons　the　play　does　not　seem　to　have　a　good　dramatic
subject。　　The　unity　is　given　by　Mary　herself　and　her　fortunes；　and
these　are　scarcely　dramatic。　　History　prevents　the　introduction　of
Philip　till　the　second　scene　of　the　third　act。　　His　entrance　is
manque；　he　merely　accompanies　Cardinal　Pole；　who　takes　command　of　the
scene；　and　Philip　does　not　get　in　a　word　till　after　a　long
conversation　between　the　Queen　and　the　Cardinal。　　Previously　Philip
had　only　crossed　the　stage　in　a　procession；　yet　when　he　does　appear
he　is　bereft　of　prominence。　　The　interest　as　regards　him　is
indicated；　in　Act　I。　scene　v。；　by　Mary's　kissing　his　miniature。　　Her
blighted　love　for　him　is　one　main　motive　of　the　tragedy；　but　his　own
part　appears　too　subordinate　in　the　play　as　published。　　The　interest
is　scattered　among　the　vast　crowd　of　characters；　and　Mr　R。　H。　Hutton
remarked　at　the　time　that　he　〃remains　something　of　a　cold；　cruel；　and
sensual　shadow。〃　　We　are　more　interested　in　Wyatt；　Cranmer；　Gardiner；
and　others；　or　at　least　their　parts　are　more　interesting。　　Yet　in　no
case　does　the　interest　of　any　character；　except　of　Mary　and
Elizabeth；　remain　continuous　throughout　the　play。　　Tennyson　himself
thought　that　〃the　real　difficulty　of　the　drama　is　to　give　sufficient
relief　to　its　intense　sadness。　。　。　。　Nothing　less　than　the　holy　calm
of　the　meek　and　penitent　Cranmer　can　be　adequate　artistic　relief。〃
But　not　much　relief　can　be　drawn　from　a　man　about　to　be　burned　alive；
and　history　does　not　tempt　us　to　keen　sympathy　with　the　recanting
archbishop；　at　least　if　we　agree　with　Macaulay　rather　than　with
Froude。

I　venture　to　think　that　historical　tradition；　as　usual；　offered　a
better　motive　than　exact　history。　　Following　tradition；　we　see　in
Mary　a　cloud　of　hateful　gloom；　from　which　England　escapes　into　the
glorious　dawn　of　〃the　Gospel　light；〃　and　of　Elizabeth；　who　might　be
made　a　triumphantly　sympathetic　character。　　That　is　the　natural　and
popular　course　which　the　drama　might　take。　　But　Tennyson's　history　is
almost　critical　and　scientific。　　Points　of　difficult　and　debated
evidence　（as　to　Elizabeth's　part　in　Wyatt's　rebellion）　are　discussed。
There　is　no　contest　of　day　and　darkness；　of　Truth　and　Error。　　The
characters　are　in　tha